A/N: Nearly done ^-^, but I hope I don´t move to fast with the story ^^"
At a side note I wanted to tell you that I published already a little bit of another story that I planned to write when I´m done with this whole story, the only missing thing for it is still a pairing, I can´t really decide so I opened a poll on my profile to let you decide it, please vote :).
"bla" normal talking
´bla´ OC thinking
´bla´ OC inner
Chapter 18: Coming home
Oc 14 years old, Itachi 20 years old
Exactly one day before Naruto´s birthday we neared the gate of Konoha. It was early in the morning and the village was silent just here and there I could hear some animals in the forest. A light fog was lingering in the chilly air.
´I love autumn´
´Yes, it is the best season. Not to warm, not to cold, more coloured than spring and summer, lots of rain and storms...just great´
I breathed some of the cool fresh air and exhaled slowly when we passed the gate and signed the formula for our return.
"Welcome back, the Hokage said you should come to her right away" the guard informed us.
"Then we shouldn´t let her wait" Jiraiya grinned grapping me boldly around my waist jumping up on the roofs followed by a complaining Naruto.
That only left me a short moment to see the black elegant cat who was sitting beside the guard house staring at me until it couldn´t see me anymore.
´I guess someone else beside the guards and Tsunade will know we are back from our trip´
´Sadly too late to bribe Yami´
´Better hope he doesn´t show up to the wrong time hearing things he shouldn´t´
´You know our luck?´
´Yes, but hey you try to be more positive in live so "The hopes dies last"´
´...I pray for it´
Like every ninja Jiraiya entered the office through the window dropping me rudely on the floor.
"Baa-chan we are back" Naruto busted into the office through the door.
´Why did he use the door?´
´More dramatic? Our because it sounds better to bang the door open, you know to make a great entrance´
"Don´t call me Baa-san!" Tsunade hollered hitting Naruto over the head.
"Ma, ma calm down, please" Jiraiya said, only to save himself from the fist from a fuming Hokage.
"Where were you!?"
"Ah...I...we...made a detour visiting Gaara...in Suna" Naruto explained sheepish hiding behind Jiraiya.
"Tsk, kids these days. Was your training successful?" She asked calming down suspiciously quick.
"Yes! I learned some great ninjutsu!" Naruto was really excited and began chatting about his new techniques but Jiraiya interrupted him.
"His training isn´t completed we will just stop by here to celebrate Narutos birthday"
"What do you plan with him?"
"I will take him with me to Myoubokuzan" Jiraiya for once wore a serious expression.
´Ah right his training for his sage mode´
´To think of it some of the originally things still happen when they should...does that mean we didn´t made enough of an impact to change the final fate?´
´I don´t know, what else we could do? We gave every information we had about the upcoming events even about the rabbit goodness, we changed Nagatos mind getting him on our side and we got a few things into motion with the help of Shikaku...´
´Or it is just the fate of Naruto to grow at this pace, because one thing we won´t change...the fight between him and Sasuke, because I´m sure that fight will happen on way or another´
´True enough´
"Alright then you two can go...and Jiraiya pray that I won´t find you spying in the woman bath" She warned and dismissed both of the goofballs.
"We will meet at Ichiraku?" I asked my friend.
"Sure! I will get the other ones, until later" He rushes out the window grinning, already planning his hunt for our friends while Jiraiya used this time the door surely planning a way to peep on the womens without getting caught
For a little moment it was silent and I showed my older side.
"We don´t have much time, one of Itachis cats saw me" Tsunade nodded knowing full well of the little spy system Itachi build up while waiting for me.
"You are unharmed?" She scanned me with worried brown eyes.
´One thing was true about Tsunade she saw herself as a mother to us all´
´It is nice...´
´Yeah´
"No one hurt me in any way" I assured.
"Good...the mission?" She hesitated for a moment, it wasn´t really a mission from the Hokage more or less one I gave myself so she doesn´t have an actual right to know.
I reached inside my coat opening a hidden pocket to get the scrolls I got from Nagato.
One was the original of the now completed treaty (Nagato made a copy for himself) and a letter that I didn´t read, both I laid down on the big desk.
When I retracted my hand, not a second to late, Tsunades fist went down on the desk splitting it in half.
"UCHIHA! And NARA! Inside! NOW!"
Two figures entered the room, an all black one through the window and another with standart Chunin vest through the door.
Itachis stress lines were more prominent than the last time I saw him, his hair in a slight disarray and he was paler with some new scars that looked only a few days old. A frown formed on my face taking in his uncared and obvious tried form. Other may have not seen the little signs of his exhausted.
My gaze went over to Shika seeing a similar picture with stiffened shoulders and tried eyes. They both gave me a long gaze looking for any injuries only to avert them and turning now to Tsunade.
"See she is here unharmed and save, so, you god damm brats!, go and get some good sleep!"
"Hokage-sama, why was a mission of unknown rank signed to a civilian?" Shikamaru asked ignoring the order of Tsunade standing with Itachi between me and Tsunade, backs turned to me.
Silence sunk into the room while the staring contest between two geniuses against one Hokage began.
´Wow that is intense´
"It wasn´t her who gave me that mission, I assigned it for myself" I spoke up getting irritated to be ignored.
Three sets of eyes fell on me, two angered ones and one with some pity and again silence fell over us but now both guys were getting angrier with every passing second.
"I won´t tell you anything about it beside that it was planned long beforehand together with Shikaku, as such it was a fool proofed one. And don´t you dare say anything about danger and getting possible hurt, I knew the risks more than you will ever know" for empathising I gave them one of my own angered glares.
"What risks?" Shikamaru asked with an iced voice.
"You think after your reaction now I would tell you" I lifted an eyebrow to underline my rhetorical question.
"Why won´t you tell us anything about the mission?" Now it was Itachis turn making me uncomfortable, I averted my eyes directing them out of the window not missing the pity-look from Tsunade.
"I will only tell you when you promise to not ask for more then I will tell you"
´They should never know about it...´
´But when they find out?´
´All evidence was destroyed as long as some people keep their mouth shut including myself they will never know...´
´But still...what will you do when they find out...?´
´...I´m scared...we don´t know how they will react...should they take it the negative way...then...then...we both know the answer to that´
´You would-?´
´Yes´
"We promise" the chorused and I turned my gaze back to both of them, taking in their serious posture.
"Just listen, don´t interrupt me with any question" I warned them, their intense gaze made me nervous enough that I looked again out of the window.
"As I said it was planned long beforehand, as working under Shikaku I heard about Akatsuki" both stiffened at the mention of the criminal organisation, but I continued my half lie.
"I talked a lot with Hokage-sama and Satorubi-sama...I wanted to talk to them or better said their leader. Having no parents or anyone who could say anything against it they allowed me to go under the protection of Jiraiya and Naruto giving me along a scroll and the plea to get them to agree on the peace treaty. And after that I went with Naruto to Suna visiting his friend Gaara"
I got some extreme reactions for the first part of my story, the visit in Suna was unimportant for them. Shikamaru got really angry, something Naras usually won´t get, his presence alone became suffocating, but he wasn´t the really scary one. The utter silence from Itachi scared me more than the obvious angered Shikamaru.
´Wow one feels like he is on fire while the other one could freeze hell over with his aura´
´Yeah and now think of it when they would know about the truth...´
´I understand your worry´
"You-! You-! TSK" Shikamaru tried to say something but he only got frustrated ruffled his hair wildly ranting under his breath, then he turned sharply went to the window turning his back to all of us.
I now looked slowly over to Itachi, who had his eyes closed seeming calm, but I could feel that it was more like a calm bevor the storm.
"Itachi...I-" Just with opening his eyes he shut me up.
´These eyes...they are like that time, when I followed him into his room´
"Why didn´t you trust us?" He didn´t sound a bit angry he sounded sad and disappointed hitting me right deeper in my heart than any angry tone could.
´I have an Idea!´
´I´m listening´
…
´That actually makes sense...thanks for that idea´
´No problem I´m here to help you out´
"Alright, but this...will remain between us" I took in some air and then exhaled.
"I love you both really much, just you know." I gave them a shaky smile.
"Remember the Chunin Exam?" I only could see Itachis darkening face but I guessed Shika remembers, too.
"I really don´t know how or why or anything else...but I saw something that I could only guess were fragments of the future. Inoichi checked it and that was followed by discussions with the Hokages. The guess was that I was maybe for a short moment too near to death doors, who knows, no one knows what happens when someone dies. I told you I wanted to help and our only real chance of Akatsukis leader to listen and siding with us was to see for himself with his rinnegan, so there were no other way then sending me."
´I really hate to lie but I hope I will be forgiven for this little one´
´It was this or telling them the real truth, and that would sound unbelievable´
"But why not telling us before?" Itachi asked again.
"I was scared of the knowledge of the consequences of knowing...and of your reactions...I didn´t want to lose anyone through that...not after my parents died" I looked away, trying to hold my tears at bay.
"Just say it clearly that you didn´t trust us, didn´t believe in us" Shikamaru hissed out turning his head a bit sending me a burning glare.
´We made a mistake maybe I should have told them that earlier?´
´People do make mistakes even us...´
I hang my head and shrunk back a bit, I never liked to be yelled at and Shika was really near to it. Bringing my arms up I hugged myself.
"I´m sorry...what I saw...It scared me, I lost my parents, I didn´t wanted to lose you two too I couldn´t bear it...I wanted to do anything to change that fate and then just forget about it" I shuddered at the thought of the original story of Naruto.
"I was selfish, I didn´t wanted for anyone other to know about it, the less people knew, the better. Such knowledge is dangerous, I could be hunted and my dear peoples could get hurt...I didn´t want that. I did it to protect myself...I´m not perfect, I made a mistake in not telling you, but I did what I thought was right and I apologize for hurting you with that."
I now looked up into their eyes hoping for forgiveness, that I didn´t deserve.
´You deserve it, you know´
´I´m not sure about that...´
"I-I promise to never do this again" and now I waited.
I saw how Shika slowly cooled down while Itachi got more relaxed and his aura warmer. Shikamaru and Itachi both let out a world vary sight ruffling their hair, but it was only Shikamaru doing a step forward to gather me in a hug.
"I could never stay angry at you, you are my friend Yuuki so clearly I will forgive you" He mumbled.
´Ah no, damm I hate it to be built so near on the water´
I began sniffing trying to hold back my tears, but failing so I grabbed his shirt at his back and pressed my face in his shoulder.
´Damm him for being taller than me´
While I cried in his shoulder I couldn´t see how Itachi and Shikamaru exchanged some death glares.
"Yuuki" a warm hand fell on my shoulder getting my attention.
With an ugly tear stained face I looked up to Itachis onyx eyes that hold this strange warmth in it again.
"I understand you so there is no need for forgiveness" I got myself out of Shikas hug to throw myself at my special Uchiha. Given the age difference I was smaller and only reached up to the beginning of his chest, but I ignored that and threw my arms over his neck pulling him down to cry in the crook of his neck.
He hugged me a bit more carefully than Shikamaru trying not to touch me in any indecent way, he laid on hand on my head and the other one around my shoulders.
´Oh somehow I think it will be funny to tease him later when we are growing in the right places´
´It already began´
´I know, that is why I´m so excited when the curves will show, and they will for sure AND not to forget our deal, with 16 I will unleash our not so innocent imagens´
´Oh great´
´Careful with the sarcasm´
Slowly my tears stopped.
"Thank you" I rasped still holding Itachi but letting go slowly.
"I will bring you home" Shikamaru said with a tune that won´t accept a no as an answer. For a second Itachis hold tightened then relaxed again.
"I will accompany you" I looked from one to the other for the first time getting the exchange between them.
´Huh?´
´Could they be...´
´Nee I don´t think so´
´But it would be a possibility´
´They aren´t fighting over me´
´Then be blind´
´What reasons should they have?´
´Maybe both of them like you?´
´You mean like...like?´
´Love, call it by its name, but yes´
´Oh...´
´Think of it later´
"Then let us go I´m really tried from the travel" I tried a shaky smile at both of them turning to the door.
"And sorry Hokage-sama for this..."
"It is alright Yuuki, go home and take a good nap as soon as you feel ready go to Shikaku tomorrow"
We left silently not talking on the way to my apartment. The atmosphere was a bit heavy both were in their own world maybe thinking over the discussion and my mission. With no feeling of time we arrived at my door and I now stood there awkwardly not knowing how to bid them goodbye, but then I remembered something.
"I nearly forgot" I mumbled out.
"I have something for you two so come in, please" I opened the door for them grinning at their curious looks in their faces.
I led them inside on my couch telling them to wait for a moment while hasting down into my room unpacking my bag in search of Shikamarus present. Finding it I crawled under my bed getting a box from the far corner and with both presents I came back into the living room holding them out to the two guys.
"I know it is a bit late, but still, Happy Birthday you two" now I gave them a real smile surprising them with it. They both took their present opening it swiftly.
Shikamaru looked at first puzzled down at the dice he held in his hand, but then he seems to recognize the little symbol craved on it so he put some Chakra in it. A click was heard and the upper part swung open to reveal some vials with some rare poison and plants.
"Tche, how do you always find such things" Shika mumbled clearly not for me to hear so I ignored it and turned to Itachi who got the old wrap down from a long and sturdy box. I sent a full year ahead a note to Zabuza ordering this special made present after scratching every yen together that I get after the death of my parents, but after hearing that I was friend with the foxboy he made it nearly for free only taking a quarter of that what I could offer.
Itachi blinked a few times in his hand lied a Tanto and not just a normal one it was crafted from the hardest and sharpest material found in the world, the sheath was all black and had the Uchiha crest on it. After inspecting it he laid it back down.
"I can´t accept this Yuuki-"
"When you think of how much this must have cost, you are wrong, the smith who made this saw this as a chance to repair the village a favour so he lowered the price enormously, please take it" I interrupted him already knowing his argument.
For a moment he was silent closed the box and took it under his arm while standing up.
I didn´t saw it coming when he leaned down giving me a kiss on my cheek so he got a full out blush from me.
"Thank you Yuuki, I will honour it." With a short smile he left leaving me and Shikamaru alone.
"Shika, there was something that I wanted to ask you" I turned to him.
"Before I began my travel you...were different..even angry at me...why?" I came near him getting my face near his to hold his gaze.
"Huh?" First, he looked confused but then remembered.
"Oh...Uhm...that was...eh.." Slowly a blush raised up to his ears.
"You are a girl...and uhm...it isn´t proper to...be so close-I mean-you know" He began to stutter turning away to hide his embarrassment.
I couldn´t anymore and busted out in a laughing fit startling poor Shika.
´That was the reason?´
´I was right´
´You were thanks god, this problem is easy to solve´
"Sorry Shika I didn´t mean to laugh at you, but that reason is just so silly" I wiped my tears away getting my breathing and laughing under control and turned to the embarrassed and slightly angry best friend of mine.
"It is a part of growing up to become aware of the other genders body" I smiled at him to reassure him that I wasn´t compelled to talk about this.
"But just because of that doesn´t mean we can´t touch like before, you could-,"I stopped myself bevor I let anything improper like "you could even like it" out of my mouth, we both are still underage "I mean I really miss it to hug you especially now after my visit in Ame. And I also think that a hug is pretty much in the proper zone or does you have any other problem with it?" I asked him while smiling hiding my seriousness about that.
For a like five minutes he was silently thinking before I had enough and threw myself at him, hugging him like I wanted for the past weeks. I titled my head so I could whisper in his ear.
"It feels right for me to hug you Shika, when you feel the same then there is nothing wrong with doing it" and to underline that I tightened my hug a little bit and then let go of him.
´Girl...that sounds awfully like you seduce him onto the path of lust´
´...stop these pictures right now there is still one year left bevor you can wreak havoc´
´They came from you, pervert´
´I know, but still shut them out please´
´Oh I´m so excited for you to turn 16, can´t wait´
´God please let that be only a phase´
´You pleaded for that often enough to know it isn´t a phase´
In one moment I could still see and even feel his hot blush but then it disappeared suddenly and he wound one arm around my midback up to my shoulder and the other around my waist pulling me a back close to him into a different hug than all the others before.
I was now feeling how my developing breast were pressed into his warm chest that seemed to get a bit warmer than before. Feeling his arms with the first hints of muscles under my own that I slung over his neck nuzzling my nose into the crook of it and breathing in his scent of rain and forest and feeling his own hot breath caressing my own neck. I was completely overwhelmed.
´This...feels different. - No comment to this?´
I felt a bit fuzzy and warm, this hug...was it even one? It felt like an embrace I was getting this strange feeling again, but at the same time it felt so good that I didn´t want to leave his arms and relaxed more.
After a moment he let hesitantly go of me mumbling something I didn´t quiet catch but I sounded like "You don´t know how right it feels".
"I better get going now, until later" he was in such a hurry that he took my window instead the door.
´Now better hurry they will wait for us´
´! - Right!´
I hurried and got a short shower and some fresh clothes to meet up with my friends on the way out I grabbed the bag of souvenirs for my friends.
I really only needed to follow the usual bickering of some certain friends to find them all gathered at Ichirakus happily chatting and or bickering.
"Yuu-chan!" Choji was the first one spotting me getting the attention of the others.
I was called from all sides getting hugs here and there being welcomed back from my friends.
"You guys are great I even bought you some souvenirs from my trip" I laughed when I hold the bag up and it was whisked away by Kiba being exited to see what I got him and Akamaru. While the bag goes around I began telling them of my journey, when Shikamaru showed up together with Temari and surprisingly Itachi.
"Brother what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked the question that was ghosting in my own mind.
"Can´t I look after my brother and his friends?"
"No, you are too old don´t you have some own friends?" It wasn´t often Sasuke showed he was annoyed but in the presence of his brother he showed more emotions
"Sasuke you know ANBUs are busy" that shut Sasuke up.
"Yeah Teme let your brother be here he is a better companion then you" Naruto threw into the litle brother fight.
"What was that dude?" Sasuke asked calmly.
"Teme!"
"Dude!"
"TE-!"
I just rolled my eyes at them and ignored them for the rest of their shouting fight.
´But being truthful I missed that´
´Yes´
I smiled at my dear friends how Lee was firing on Naruto and Sasukes fight, while Choji and Kiba were having an intense discussion over meat. Hinata, Tenten, Temari, Sakura and Ino were talking about guys and Shion together with Neji seemed to have a monologue contest on going...or was it a conservation?
"You know you want to trust us all" I hear the smooth voice of Itachi from behind me, he got us both some ramen.
"You really know me huh?" I gave him a lopsided grin while breaking my chopsticks in two and began eating my ramen while listening to my friends.
"Ne Yuu-chan, is Gaara hot?" Inos too innocence voice reached my ears and made me with that question to chock on my noodles.
´Where did that question come from?´
´Hmmm...yeah he is quiet the looker´
´Hey! No betraying!´
´But he is hot´
´Ah..´
´That red hair, that eyes and the tattoo´
´Yeah, yes ok he is hot, but...here are some other guys who will be quiet the lookers later on´
"Yeah he is why do you ask?"
´!´
´What?´
´Your promise to tell the truth is great, but you know...saying this while Shika and Itachi are present...sure that was a good idea?´
´OH!´
I nearly facepalmed myself for myself being so stupid looking up my inner was right both looked a bit...angry? While Ino busted out into laughter saying "See I knew she had something with him".
´Welcome back home´
´UGH´
Tanks for reading and staying with me so far :) please leave me some reviews ^-^ and hopefully a vote on my poll, thank you very much and a cookie for everyone who votes :3